Hezbollah's use of anti-tank missiles unprecedented: Israeli media
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The Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed that Hezbollah's utilization of this precision weapon is unparalleled in "Israel" and possibly globally.
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A Lebanese Resistance fighter seen firing a Kornet ATGM. (Hezbollah Military Media)
Israeli media reported on Wednesday that Hezbollah's use of anti-tank missiles as a sniper weapon is "unprecedented."
The Israeli Haaretz newspaper disclosed that starting from October 7, Hezbollah has launched mortars and rockets at IOF outposts. However, the remarkable increase in the deployment of anti-tank missiles from Lebanon is noteworthy in the ongoing confrontations. Hezbollah's utilization of this precision weapon is unparalleled in "Israel" and possibly globally.
According to figures obtained by Haaretz, the list of settlements hit by anti-tank missiles and the damage to civilian infrastructure is long. It spreads along the entire length of the Lebanese border. The newspaper detailed that numerous homes, public buildings, chicken coops, businesses, and vehicles in the "moshavim Avivim", "Dovev, Zar'it", and "Shtula", as well as the "kibbutzim Misgav Am" and "Sasa", along with other settlements, have been impacted.
Moreover, the newspaper revealed that the "range of the anti-tank missiles fired from Lebanon at civilian targets in the al-Jalil now comes to "Moshav Beit Hillel", located four kilometers (2.5 miles) from the border; and Kibbutz Kfar Szold in the Hula Valley, six kilometers from the border, whose residents have not been evacuated."
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A senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, Yehoshua Kalisky, explained that "the manner of their current use by Hezbollah is unprecedented in the world. This is massive use, daily, against civilians, soldiers, vehicles, chicken coops, and houses in the north. Against anything that moves, or does not move, and there is no defense against it."
On another note, the newspaper wrote that even though the "Trophy system has been proven to provide tanks and APCs with an effective defense against anti-tank missiles in Gaza", the IOF lacks the capability to intercept these missiles when they are directed at squads of soldiers, vehicles, and buildings along occupied Palestine's northern border.
The numbers revealed by Haaretz suggest that "Israel" has evacuated around 50,000 Israeli settlers from settlements located within 3.5 kilometers of the border, adding that "the weekend strike on an air traffic control base on Mount Meron revealed that Hezbollah also has anti-tank missiles with a 10-kilometer range". This situation places additional settlements, such as "Sde Nehemia" and "Kfar Blum" in the "Hula Valley", and "Rehaniya", "Kerem Ben Zimra", and "Jish" in the mountains, directly within the firing range from Lebanon. Notably, these areas have not undergone evacuation measures yet.
Concerning the Iron Dome, the newspaper clarified that while the system issues brief warnings for high-trajectory rocket and mortar attacks, it faces limitations with antitank missiles. These missiles are fired on a direct line of sight with a flat trajectory, resulting in a relatively extended time in the air, at least 30 seconds at the given ranges. Unfortunately, "Israel" lacks a countermeasure that would provide residents with even a five-second warning to take cover or intercept missiles targeting a community.
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"When we asked why Kfar Szold was not evacuated, army sources told us that antitank missiles only have a range of five kilometers. But Hezbollah has already reached longer ranges and this concept has collapsed in front of our eyes," says Pnina Eisenberg Borstein, the kibbutz community director.
"Last Saturday, an antitank missile was fired at Givat Ha'em nearby – and the threat has materialized. There is already a crisis of confidence since October 7. So when we see that the army's basic assumption is breached, it definitely does not ease our anxiety."
Moreover, the newspaper quoted Kalisky admitting that "Hezbollah exploits our weakness in the best possible way. It has no aircraft, artillery, or tanks, so it tries to operate creatively."
